By RUSSELL BENNETT
ELLINBANK AND DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE
FINALS PREVIEW – WEEK 3
CORA LYNN v NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH
Preliminary Final 1 – Saturday from 2pm at Western Park, Warragul
Ladder positions: 1st (16 wins, 0 losses) versus 7th (10 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw)
Earlier this season: Round 15 at Cora Lynn: Cora Lynn 13.11 (89) d Neerim South 11.8 (74)
Cora Lynn players to watch: Ricky Clark, Ryan Gillis, Sean Marchetti
Neerim South players to watch: Chris Urie, Calum Shiels, Tyssen Morrow
THE last time the Cats took on the Cobras – back in Round 15 – it was just a 15-point game, with Cora Lynn taking the honours 13.11 (89) to 11.8 (74).
Still, the seventh-placed Neerim Neerim South will enter this weekend’s game at Western Park as the rank outsiders and will need to pull off one of the great recent upsets if they’re to get past the undefeated Cobras in their preliminary final.
It’s incredible in a lot of ways that South is within reach of a grand final berth, but their hard, contested brand of footy is perfectly suited to finals footy – as are some of their biggest names.
Chris Urie is the competition’s form player – and possibly its best. He’s strong and powerful, but also incredibly skilful and versatile as both a ball-winning midfielder and target in and around the forward 50. Tyssen Morrow is also a big game player who has the potential to turn a match off his own boot, while Calum Shiels has excelled this season as an intercept marker and creator of play across half-back.
But for the Cobras, Ricky Clark has the chance this season to enhance his already astonishing legacy with another premiership and Sean Marchetti has the genuine explosiveness out of centre clearances that few can match.
Supremely gifted forward Ryan Gillis has the ability to give any defence nightmares and he was a dominant force back in Round 15 – marking seemingly everything in reach and booting seven goals.
Cobras coach Travis Marsham kept a close eye on both semi finals over the weekend and said he wouldn’t be surprised to see South’s “structure” change on Saturday.
He knows they’re prone to losing the inside 50 count, but they hold up so well defensively that they can – and do – still win.
But Marsham said preliminary finals tended not to be a huge tactical battle anyway – “it’s more just about who wants it more.
“I think in terms of tactics, sometimes we can overthink these things sometimes.
“We need to continue to apply as much pressure as possible.”
But make no mistake – the mind games have already started.
Having watched the Cats win over Buln Buln, Marsham said Shiels “could barely walk” after the game with a hamstring injury.
But Marsham and his boys aren’t taking anything for granted. Despite entering the game undefeated, he said: “Record counts for nothing in a preliminary final.
“This will be a real test of our resolve.
“There’s no doubt we’ve got the ability and the talent but the challenge is there for us to produce when really pushed.”
Marsham’s Cats counterpart Jack Halligan, meanwhile, said he was still unsure just how serious Shiels’ injury was.
“He’s had a few throughout the year,” he said.
“It’s a bit of a hard one – we don’t really know how serious it is at this stage.”
Halligan said Shiels would most likely play this week but he was less optimistic about youngster Aiden Dibsdale ,who suffered his own hamstring injury.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed for him,” Halligan said, adding that his hamstring injury is “far worse” than Shiels’.
The Cats will be buoyed, though, with midfield gun Mick Urie taking his place in the side after successfully having his red card for allegedly kicking Buln Buln’s Trent Baker cleared at the tribunal on Tuesday night.
They’re are expected to throw caution to the wind this week in their game against the Cobras, and their half-back line will again be crucial to their efforts.
Halligan said he was thrilled with the way they’d held up all year and confident in what they could do. In addition his midfield has the potential to take it right up to the Cobras stars.
Longwarry coach Scott Gowans said South really surprised him against Buln on the weekend, adding: “They could be a real sneaky”.
He said the Cats were a quicker outfit than many give them credit for.
“You think of Neerim South as a big-bodied, workmanlike side that loves the contest, but they’ve also got the ability to find plenty of space out wide,” he said.
“Their ball movement was terrific on the weekend and their skills were very good as well.
“I still think Cora Lynn has everyone’s measure, but they haven’t got anyone who can stop (Chris) Urie – I don’t think anyone can. He’s just so good off both his left and right and he’s so strong.
“He’s definitely their x-factor.”
Gowans said South had the “prime age” to go deep into a finals campaign but still tipped Cora Lynn by around eight goals.
“They (the Cobras) almost tease sides to go long and direct, but that’s exactly what they want with their zone defence.
“They set a trap and then get things moving from the half-back line.
“If you look at their backline they pay little respect to the forward pockets and flanks.
“They focus on the full-forward and centre-half forward and their zone looks after the rest.”
